Is Paris trying to buy godmother status?

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

Paris Hilton might be gunning for godmother status if the gifts she picked up for Nicole Richie’s new daughter, Harlow, are any indication.

Hilton, who has spent the past several days picking up a ridiculous amount of Sundance swag (more on that later) stocked up a gift basket worth $1,500 from Hollywood’s go-to baby boutique, Petit Tresor.

Hilton showed her green side in choosing what Harlow would receive. Among the contents in the basket are five organic blankets from eco-friendly designer Robbie Adrian.

If $1,500 sounds like a lot to spend on a baby gift, Hilton more than made up for the dent in her bank account by scooping up freebies at Sundance. At the Kenneth Cole Reaction lounge, Hilton picked an iPhone (photos indicate she had one in June — perhaps she misplaced it?), an Xbox 360 and various pet accessories from animigo.com.

Hilton’s actions seem to speak louder than Sundance creator Robert Redford’s words. On Jan. 19, Redford insisted that his film festival isn’t turning off the independent filmmakers it once attracted because of parties headlining A-listers and suites full of swag. “Paris Hilton and so forth doesn't have anything to do with anything," he said. Perhaps he’s talking about next year?

Dr. Phil’s staffers are fed up
The tables might soon be turned on Oprah Winfrey’s “tell it like it is” point person, Dr. Phil McGraw. Staffers on his show are fed up, said and insider, and it’s only a period of time before they start making their gripes public.

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“Never have I witnessed such open contempt for a production,” said one person who is familiar with the inner workings of the show. “You get them (staff members) talking about what really goes on, and they just don’t stop. They are not a happy bunch.”

As this column reported earlier, sources say McGraw did not alert producers that he was going to attempt to visit Britney Spears during her stay at Cedars-Sinai. “Although that really p--- people off, that was just one of many incidents where staff felt like they were in the dark.”

During McGraw’s Jan. 21 episode of his show, he said of the hospital visit, “If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't say a word. … But let me be clear, I certainly do not apologize for trying to help this family or this girl in trouble."

“You just get the feeling that this is going to be the kind of thing that ends in a tell-all,” said the source. “And as famous as Dr. Phil is, I don’t think he’s powerful enough to repair his image if that were to happen.”

Conan’s message to Leno
Conan O’Brien, if you’re trying to send a message, you could probably do it for less than $10.7 million. Blogs were ablaze on Martin Luther King Day with news that O’Brien purchased a $10.7 million home in Brentwood, Calif., which more or less sends the message that he’s ready to take over Jay Leno’s post as “Late Show” host.

According to a real-estate listing, the home has 10-foot ceilings, six fireplaces, six en suite bedrooms, a “sybaritic master” bedroom, a screening room, a 1,500-bottle wine room and “magical canyon views.”

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